Cubed3's Reviews
To answer the question - is this a brand-new game or glorified DLC? The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a worthy sequel - it goes beyond a simple reskin and introduces a cohesive, unique take at a post-story world from a previous entry. Blend in two huge new landmasses to unpack, reworked villages/locations and a mysterious story to stitch it all together for one epic return to Hyrule. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom accomplishes that incredibly difficult task of following up a critically acclaimed game. It hooks, teases and surprises at every turn. Another essential game for the Nintendo Switch and chapter in the ever-expanding Hylian story.
A title such as Octopath Traveler II comes with its own charm, but the turn-based battle system with different types of jobs allows for some great gameplay. Adding in a beautiful world to explore and a great soundtrack to enjoy, this title is a must-play.
Fight'N Rage has really done its research in ensuring it presents itself as a warm love letter to an adored genre. It also takes the time to give gameplay and combat mechanics real depth.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp brings back two classic tactics games with mixed results. While the various COs and their animations are exceptional, accompanied with welcomed voice acting, the 3D artwork for the environments, troops and vehicles clashes with the 2D drawings. The missions themselves hold up incredibly well twenty years later with vast unit variety and choice for most battles. Bare bones online modes don't offer quite enough opportunity for replayability, but the package still stands tall with a map editor and missions with additional maps.
If you have the patience to wait for a discount, what you'll find here is a great NBA game, with some cool modes that transport you to the past of the organization, with chief among them a meaty tribute to Michael Jordan.
Omen of Sorrow is a fighter that doesn't attempt to be more than just that: a fighter. It's an okay indie entry into the genre that will be forgotten by everyone apart from those who are into gothic horror or the occult… and even they will be disappointed, as this almost feels as if it is reluctant to go wild with its theme and play to its strengths.
A great package that not only rounds off Village before Resident Evil 9 hits the scene, but also offers players the chance to experience the main game again.
A thoroughly fun and endearing game that is highly recommendable to all Nintendo Switch owners.
WWE 2K23 is yet again a positive move in the right direction after last year's entry.
It is difficult to not be blinded by nostalgia, especially when a game has been part of the ongoing zeitgeist of the franchise for nearly 20 years. Resident Evil 4 Remake is, by intention, an unfaithful love letter. The remake has changed certain story beats, altered movement, overhauled combat and revised the visuals. Those jumping in for the first time in 2023 may not understand the hype surrounding this particular entry in the series, but remember that a lot of modern games owe their DNA to Resident Evil 4, even if they have perfected it since.
WWE 2K23 is certainly one of the better wrestling games of recent memory. In fact, it might be easy to say that WWE 2K23 is the best wrestling game on the market, hands down.
Little Witch Nobeta is a surprisingly fun little indie Souls-like title. It has charm and challenge in equal bags, and it even pulls off a competent, if slightly oddly translated, story. It isn't Dark Souls, but fans of the genre would be remiss to pass on this game, especially if they like cutesy anime witches. Thoroughly recommended.
There are few games that command the title of Masterpiece. Without any doubt whatsoever, Metroid Prime Remastered is fully deserving of this moniker.
KartRider: Drift has made an indelible impression during the review process. It is rare that a free-to-play game offers so much for free and continues to offer a fun experience.
Mythargia is a nice dark tale, with some nice dark visuals, and a nice dark atmosphere. It rarely ever becomes more than 'nice,' though. A bit too linear, a bit too easy, and a bit unwilling to let the player do more than just walk around and read notes, it all falls to the story to carry the experience, and while it's definitely a good story, you can generally find better. Try it out if in need of a casual-friendly and slightly horror-flavoured, narrative driven adventure, but avoid if you want something "meatier."
Apart from small glitches and occasional copy-paste character models, Hogwarts Legacy is truly something else. The magic is alive, and it is finally time to explore Hogwarts castle.
Much like the original Wii release, Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe is an excellent Kirby adventure, packed full of heart, classic gameplay and dipped in a delicious HD upgrade. Throw in bonus modes, collectable content, and backstory for a truly definitive platforming experience. It's unfortunate that there's no online co-op play, but both single and local couch-play are an absolute joy from the opening title.
Elderand is the definition of disappointing. There's no big flaw to point at, apart from the fact that it is extremely afraid to do… well, anything apart from the basics. The result is something that looks good, sounds good, and feels good, but never really manages to be more than 'okay.' It's a well-crafted 'okay,' with nothing to show that could separate it from the rest of its competitors, old or new.
If you consider yourself a Final Fantasy fan, there is every reason to invest in Theatrhythm Final Bar Line. Rammed to bursting with songs that have helped to make the series what it is, there are tracks for everybody in here, with plenty of accessibility options to tinker with to suit all levels of player, including a fun RPG-lite mechanic that can be explored for extra incentive to replay favourite tunes. The DLC is vast and off-putting, but there is so much in the base game to tackle that it can be safely ignored.
Grim Dawn is sadly an ARPG that can be described as "hack-and-slash monsters/collect loot." This applies to pretty much all games of its kind, but this has a severe lack of personality, to the point that you can spend 50 hours and still not feel immersed into the world. And while the progression system is the best thing on offer, it's also where the main flaw can be found, which is how, although there are a bazillion ways to craft your build, it all ends up feeling pretty much the same when on the battlefield.